Cultivation starts from devouring the Dao fruits

Zhao Yu said, "Su, I hope you can help me conceal the existence of the White Ghost Emperor! Let's pretend this evil ghost was killed by you!"

The White Ghost Emperor, a Second-Order Spirit Ghost, was very powerful. Zhao Yu planned to hide it and use it as his trump card.

"Of course! Here, take this! This is a Foundation Establishment Pill!"

Su Bingyun reached into her storage bag and handed a bottle to Zhao Yu.

"Foundation Establishment Pill!"

Zhao Yu's eyes brightened as he took the jade bottle, feeling a trace of emotion in his heart.

The Foundation Establishment Pill within that small bottle was what countless Qi Refining Stage Cultivators dreamt of acquiring. A single Foundation Establishment Pill could fetch at least ten thousand spirit stones at an auction, and in some black markets, it could even sell for the astronomical price of twenty thousand spirit stones.

That was because Second-Order Alchemists capable of crafting Foundation Establishment Pills were scarce in the North Desolate, and aside from the four Great Sects who could craft them, there were hardly any other powers that could.

In the North Desolate, Foundation Establishment Pills were in high demand and short supply. Even elite disciples of the Great Sects found it extremely difficult to obtain one, let alone outsiders.

Even a Foundation Establishment family like the Changyang Ling family didn't have a single Foundation Establishment Pill in their treasury, which spoke volumes about the pill's preciousness.

Su Bingyun hesitated for a moment, her pretty face blushing slightly as she slowly said, "Zhao Yu, from now on... you can call me Bingyun!"

Zhao Yu smiled and replied, "How about I call you Senior Su in public, and Bingyun in private? After all, I'm just a mere Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator!"

A Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator who could command a Second-Order Evil Ghost already had a status comparable to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!

Su Bingyun glanced at the White Ghost Emperor quietly standing behind Zhao Yu and said, "It's up to you!"

After hesitating for a while, Su Bingyun slowly asked, "Is Ling Qianxue your Dao Companion?"

Zhao Yu answered frankly, "Not yet! Her heart is full of the Ling family, and my heart is set on the Great Dao. But for now, she is my woman!"

Ling Qianxue had only met Zhao Yu a few times before; she was cheerful, bright, incredibly beautiful, and well-connected with countless admirers. The reason she was willing to suddenly devote herself to Zhao Yu, he understood her motives perfectly well.

A glint flashed in Su Bingyun's beautiful eyes as she asked, "You've saved my life again, how do you expect me to repay you?"

Zhao Yu smiled and said, "I need Fierce Ghost Relics and Yin attribute Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to nurture the White Ghost Emperor. Besides that, I am also an Alchemist, a Talisman Master. I'm in need of pill recipes, Demon Beast Inner Pills, Second-Order Demon Beast's flesh, skin, fur, Second-Order Spirit Wood—these are all things I lack.

I can trade with Superior Grade Red Jade Pills, Superior Yellow Spirit Pills, Heart-mending Pills, and Blood-patterned Beast Pills."

Su Bingyun, being a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, had a significantly higher circle of contacts than the current Ling family, making it safer to purchase some rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures through her.

If a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator was known to possess a Foundation Establishment Pill, nine times out of ten, they would be targeted for murder. But for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to have one, it was perfectly normal. Unless they were faced with hostile forces or encountered robbers, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator wouldn't be targeted over a mere Foundation Establishment Pill.

Su Bingyun quietly looked at Zhao Yu, then took out four Low-grade Second-Order Fierce Ghost Relics and various materials required for nurturing evil ghosts, along with seven pieces of Second-Order Spirit Wood and handed them to Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu glanced at those materials, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes as he took out a large number of Superior Red Jade Pills and Superior Yellow Spirit Pills and handed them to Su Bingyun.

Superior Red Jade Pills and Superior Yellow Spirit Pills, which can enhance the cultivation level of Qi Refining Stage cultivators, were hard currency. Su Bingyun could easily sell these spirit pills on the front line.

Su Bingyun's willow brows furrowed slightly, "Those were gifts I gave you!"

Zhao Yu smiled, "I know! However, I want more! Only through mutual benefit and win-win scenarios can I continuously obtain those rare materials from you. Just consider me greedy!"

Su Bingyun pondered for a moment, "Then I shall host an exchange meet!"

Zhao Yu's eyes lit up, "That would be wonderful!"

Zhao Yu had quite a few spirit stones in his possession, along with spirit pills like Superior Yellow Spirit Pills and Superior Red Jade Pills. What he currently lacked most was channels for purchasing various spiritual objects.

In the Cultivation World, many cultivators would hoard the rare spiritual objects they obtained, using them to exchange for other rare spiritual objects they needed. In a resource-scarce place like the Northern Desolate Lands, it was common to encounter situations where one possessed spirit stones but couldn't buy the needed spiritual objects.

As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with a righteous nature and an excellent reputation, Su Bingyun acting as the host of the exchange meet would make those cultivators much more willing to take out their precious spiritual objects for trade.

Zhao Yu arrived in front of the stele holding the Fierce Ghost Relic, sealed the stele, and stored it inside his storage bag. Then, he and Su Bingyun searched together in the royal mansion for storage bags belonging to cultivators killed by the evil ghosts.

The cultivators killed by the evil ghosts were all enveloped in ghostly energy. The White Ghost Emperor was particularly sensitive to ghostly energy. Under its guidance, Zhao Yu found many bodies of cultivators killed by evil ghosts and took away their storage bags.

Zhao Yu came to the royal family's treasure house and discovered that the treasures inside had been completely looted. He then went to the royal family's Spiritual Medicine Garden and found that not a single Spirit Grass remained— the entire place was pitted and uneven.

Su Bingyun asked, "Do you want to become the master of Wolf Ridge?"

Zhao Yu replied, "The master of Wolf Ridge? Bingyun, even with your help, becoming the master of Wolf Ridge won't be so simple, right? Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would covet this second-order superior spiritual land."

Second-order superior spiritual lands weren't abundant in Cang Country, most being under the control of the Cang Ling Sect. Of the five great Foundation Establishment families in Cang Country, only the former Wang family had been awarded one by the Cang Ling Sect in recognition of their great contributions.

A piece of second-order superior spiritual land signified the ability to create a powerful Foundation Establishment Level force, as long as one managed it properly, a large number of cultivation resources could be acquired.

Countless cultivator families dreamt of obtaining a piece of Spiritual Land, as it would allow them to pass down their lineage for generations and become a true cultivation family. Even a piece of inconsequential spiritual land that didn't even reach first-order could cause numerous Loose Cultivators to fight over it, not to mention a piece of second-order superior spiritual land.

Su Bingyun said, "I've earned quite a few merits on the battlefield, using all of my merits should help you secure the position of master of Wolf Ridge."

Zhao Yu replied, "No! I hope those merits are used on yourself. If you can become a Golden Core Ancestor in the future, a piece of spiritual land would be nothing more than a word away for you."

With anticipation, Su Bingyun said, "I think Wolf Ridge is not bad. Since you don't want it, I'll take it. How about you manage it on my behalf? Also, no one from the Ling family is allowed to interfere."

Zhao Yu agreed, "All right! But I'm just managing it, you need to send some people over."

Su Bingyun turned her head, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, "Mhm!"